Friday, July 12, 2013

Surf report: Fun new iPad Mini accessories

Disguising the iPad as a vintage volume, TwelveSouth's BookBook is an elegant yet clever case for throwing off thieves. Alice Truong reports.



The BookArc $30 from TwelveSouth starts at $30. (Photo: Alice Truong for USA TODAY)


Quite a market has developed around everyone's favorite little tablet, so Surf Report is taking a look at what's out there, reviewing fun accessories to adorn the iPad Mini with.


TAKING A STAND

If there's one material that perfectly complements the elegance of Apple products, it's aluminum. A graceful prop for the iPad Mini, the diminutive BookArc ($30) from TwelveSouth is carved from a solid slab of aluminum, a curved arc that elevates the tablet off the counter. The BookArc line originated as a MacBook stand to keep desks clutter free, perfect for an office setup with a large external monitor. The iPad versions are likewise suited for the desk but provide an opposite function: Instead of decluttering, they serve to hold up a second screen for keeping tabs on e-mails, monitoring stocks or even streaming movies.


TwelveSouth's most popular line is BookBook, another accessory designed originally for the MacBook. Resembling a vintage leather-bound book, the case is meant to provide protection while throwing off would-be thieves. On the laptop, the costume is an obviously oversized volume. The iPad Mini is the latest to receive its matching outfit, but this is the device the BookBook ($70) has been waiting for. At 6.25-by-8.7-0.82 inches, it's shaped, well, like a normal-sized book. Supported by the back cover, the iPad can stand against the black suede lining for an optimal viewing angle or can be flipped around for typing. Though the case replicates a classic look, the BookBook adds heft and lacks Smart Cover functionality, the latter of which seems to be standard among iPad cases these days.


NOTEPAD AND IPAD IN ONE

Following the book theme, we've also taken a look at some offerings from Booq. While the iPad is an amazing device that seems able to do it all, it still isn't paper. Certain tasks, such as keeping score of a card game, are better done the old-fashioned way. Not to mention, sometimes all you want to do is sketch on paper to convey your ideas.


The Booqpad Mini ($40) combines the best of both worlds in a notepad case. The Booqpad keeps the iPad on the inside of the cover and a pad of paper opposite it. Because of this, it doesn't support any practical viewing angles nor is there Smart Cover compatibility. It does, however, have slots along the edge of the notepad side to keep business cards (another example of paper trumping digital) organized.


The most glaring drawback to Booqpad is the custom-sized paper, refills of which cost $10 for a pack of three (an absurd price if you ask me). The Booqpad comes in two versions: a black leather one suited for the business crowd and a gray one made from an eco-friendly natural fiber called jute for the iPad-towing hippies.


Many bags these days come with laptop and tablet compartments, but Booq has designed one specifically to carry the iPad. The Cobra Courier XS ($145) looks like a miniature sling for suits, featuring a black ballistic nylon exterior, leather flap and trims, and a nylon twill lining. Ideal for those who want to lug around a tablet and not much else, there's a padded main compartment that fits all generations of iPads, a back pocket for easy-access items and a few smaller pouches to hold a phone, wallet, some pens and other miscellany. As with all Booq bags, a Terralinq serial number can help track down lost bags that are registered with the system.


AN ORIGAMI-INSPIRED CASE

It's always a frustrating process to put on a screen protector: Wipe the screen down with a microfiber cloth until it's immaculate. Peel the protector off. Re-wipe the screen because more dust has since landed on the display. Apply the protector, and re-apply it a dozen more times until it's aligned. Finally, squeeze out any air bubbles from the edges and adjust accordingly.


You'll still have to go through a combination of these steps with Moshi's iVisor ($30), but it cuts down on the number of times you'll have to redo the screen protector because of the hardened plastic, which results in no air bubbles when applied and also helps protect against scratches. The iVisor comes in a black or white trim that matches the iPad, providing an easy guide for alignment. Instead of replacing it every few months, the iVisor can be washed and reused many times over.


Being an accessories company, Moshi also has a number of cases for protecting the iPad. As its name suggests, the VersaCover ($50) is its most versatile. Modeled after origami, the cover can be folded in a variety of patterns to support typing as well as viewing in landscape and portrait modes, the latter of which is rarer among iPad cases. Though Moshi highlights only three folding combinations, my fiddling has yielded other workable patterns as well. Despite all of its features, one of its most sensible is that it's easy to remove the tablet without dinging the sides. Most people probably stick to a single case, but I'd guess to say the majority, if not all, of the nicks on my iPad can be attributed to case removal. There's definitely irony in a protective case damaging an iPad, and it's great that Moshi is aware of such because many other companies aren't.


NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

A sister brand to tech accessories maker Incipio, Tavik offers its own protection for the Mini. Coming in five different patterns, Drone ($40) features a micro suede lining and a distinctive tab to secure the cover when closed. Though there's Smart Cover capability, Drone lacks a magnetic enclosure, instead relying on the tab, which can be cumbersome to use. To support the iPad in viewing and typing angles, the tab must be secured to the loop on the back of the case. This process adds a level of friction since it doesn't necessarily slide in, requiring some pushing and pulling. Tavik calls itself a music-driven lifestyle brand for modern beach culture (whatever that means). While stylish, it's not exactly clear what makes Drone conducive for listening to music or a day at the beach.


I have mixed feelings about Case Scenario's Pantone case ($50) for the iPad Mini. The protective accessory, which you'd think would be a hit with designers, comes in only two colors: Tapshoe Black and Scarlet Sage (red). It's a shame - not to mention very boring - given the limitless options available within Pantone's color space. The interior of the cover includes raised grooves to support two viewing angles, but the overall fit of the case is too snug for my liking. Putting style and functionality aside, my biggest pet peeve with the cases is that they latch on too tightly. Removing the Pantone case the first time was an ordeal that required more effort than expected to push the tablet through the corner openings until it would budge. The Pantone brand has its appeal, but given the lack of creativity and bad fit, this case fails to live up to its potential.


E-mail Alice Truong at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ alicetruong.


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